Gas cooking stove



May 14, 1929. B. s. BEACH 1,712,544

GAS COOKING STOVE Filed Jan. 8, 1927 INVENTOR Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnnwsrnn s. BEACH, or written PLAINS, new YORK, ASSIGNOR r0 AMERIGAN ens rnonno'rs consonarron, ornnw YORK, n. Y., A coaronarron or new YORK.

GAS COOKING STOVE.

Application filed January 8, 1927. Serial No. 159,762.

My invention relates to gas cooking stoves, and more particularly to an improvement in stoves of this type capable of use either for cooking purposes or as a table.

At the present time in large cities with the increased number of apartment houses, small kitchens or kitchenettes are commonly provided. The floor space allotted to the kitchen or the kitchenette is so small, as a rule, as to necessitate not only the use of small kitchen equipment, but to provide inadequate accommodations for a convenient full equipment of the room.

With the above conditions in mind, I have provided a gas cooking stove in which the splash or back plate is not only so mounted in relation to the top plate of the stove, as to permit it to be turned down or folded upon the top plate, when it is desired to use the stove as a table, but is provided with a deep flange which, when the splash or back plate is raised, will serve as a high shelf for use while the stove is in use, and when said splash or back plate is lowered, will afford a more or less rigid support or apron for the free edge of this plate and at the same time serve as a shield to prevent the accidental opening of any of the cocks while the stove is in use as a table.

The splash or back plate structure is provided with side frames and brackets, which not only afford a proper support for the shelf and apron forming flange, and the de sired rigidity at the opposite sides of the splash or back plate, but by engagement with the manifold pipe, will sustain the load upon the splash or back'plate while it is in use as a table top.

One or both of the side frames of the splash or back plate is provided with a latch ineclumism which by cO-operation with the top plate of the stove, holds thesplash or back plate with sullicient rigidity when it is raised to permit the use of the flange thereon as a shelf, and may nevertheless be quickly and conveniently released to permit said splash or back plate to be turned downwardly in a manner to permit the use of the stove as a table. i

The invention consists primarily in a cooking stove embodying; therein a top plate, a splash or back plate structlnre, offset hinges connecting the lower portion of said structure with saidtop plate, said structure having a shelf adjacent the top thereof, and

means carried by said splash or back plate structure and said top plate, whereby said splash or back plate structure may be firmly held in the raised position or be permitted. to turn upon said hinges; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out 111 the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front view, in perspective, of a stove embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side View of the upper portion of the stove with the splash or back plate 111 the raised position; and i F 1g. 3 is a similar view with said plate in the lowered position.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, I have illustrated my invention 111 connection with a well known type of gas stove having the usual oven 1:, broiler b and flanged top plate a. The t plate 0 may be of the open grid or solid top "tvpe, which latter is provided with the usual openings closed by means of lids.

I Along the front of the stove is manifold 62 provided with the usual gas cocks indicated at e; The stove shown has three top burners and one even burner. although the number and arrangement of burners is immaterial to the invention.

This general construction and arrangement is old and well known in this art, my invention relating to means in stoves of this general type by which such a stove may be quickly converted into a table for general use or for use in. connection with the oven or the broiler.

Secured to the top plate 0, toward the top and adjacent opposite sides thereof, are hinge members having rearwardly extending elongated straps to which is secured the forward portion of bases 9-5! of side frames 7t]l/ supporting a splash or back plate 2", which may be, if desired, of enamel or porcelain coated metal. stock. Each of the side frames 7z--laf is provided with a forwardly extending bracket jand topside bars ll: 1 o supporting a metallic shelf m adj acent the top of the splash or back plate The brackets 7'-- 7" are so spaced with re lation to the hinges f f" that when the frames [L t have been turned forwardly and downwardly about these hinges, said .bracketsj y" will cometo rest upon the manifold pipe (Z. The offsetting of the hinges /"-'f with relation to the portions of the frame carrying said splash or back plate 71 is such as to ensure said frames occupying a substantially horizontal position when they are so turned about said hinges.

The splash or back plate structure includsaid side frames hh is double faced,

the splash or back plate 2' forming one face, and a. rear plate a secured to the other side of said frames for ning the other face of said structure. This plate a is of fairly stiff metal stock, and may be coated with enamel or porcelain or otherwise finished to aiford a readily cleanable surface. This plate 9:,

' when the frames are turned forwardly and downwardly in the manner above described 91 and or upon said frames. This latch membero has a hooked endada-pted to pass under and engage the rearflange of the top plate 0.

' Acting uponthis latch member is a spring 0,

having a normal tendency to cause and maintain engagement of said latch member 0 with said flange when the back plate structure is in the raised position. The latch 0 is provided with a thumb piece 0 by means of which it may be rotated against the tension of the spring to disengage it from the top plate and permit the splash or back plate structure to be turned down to the position shown in Fig. 3.

\Vhen the splash or back plate structure is in the raised position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plate m is in a horizontal position and may be used as a high shelf. hen, however, this structure is in the lowered position as shown in Fig. 3, said plate m is positioned vertically so as to act as an apron to the table into which the stove is converted by the turning down of this structure, and also serves to so shield the gas cocks as-to prevent any possible accidental opening of these cocks. The relation of parts, in fact, is such that if any of thegas cocks be opened, the edge of said shelf plate on will contact with same before the brackets j j engage the manifold cl. While it might be possible toclose down the splash or back plate structure while one or more of these cockse is slightly open, this is not at all'objectionable,

since it will permit the entire plate m to be used as a heat table for keeping food in the proper condition.

lVhen it is desired to fold the splash or back plate structure to convert the stove into a table, it is merely necessary to (liscn agc the latch or latches 0 from the flange of the top plate 0 and pull the entire splash or back plate structure forwardly of the stove, the arrangement being such that the release of these latches will not permit the toppling of this structure in a manner to cause accidental injury to the user of the stove. \Vhen it is desired to raise the top plate, it is merely necessary to swing it about the hinges f--f and permit it to drop into a vertical position, the latches automatically engaging the flange of the top plate and retaining the structure in this position.

The construction and arrangement of parts is such that when in use as a stove, the conditions will be those ordinarily found in stoves of this kind, and the additional cost of a stove embodying the invention as ((Hllpared with the ordinary stove, is but little more than that of furnishing the rear facing plate 12, the latch or latches o and the hinges It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A gas cooking stove embodying therein a top plate, a splash or back plate structure the rearward face of which is adapted to serve as a. table top, oil'set hinges connecting the lower portion of said strutiure with said top plate, said structure having a shelf adjacent the top thereof on the same side thereof as said ofi'sct hinges, whereby when said back plate structure is in one position it may be used as a table, and said shelf will act as an edge apron therefor, and when in the other position said shelf will serve us an ordinary shelf, and means carried by said splash or back plate structure and said top plate, whereby said. splash or back plulc structure may be firmly held in the raised position or be permitted to turn upon said hinges.

2. A gas cooking stove embodying lhercin a top plate, a splash or back plate structure the rearward face of which is adapted to serve as a table top, offset hinges connecting the lower portion of said structure with said top plate, said structure having a shell adjacent the top thereof on the same side thereof as said oil'set hinges, whereby when said back plate structure is in one position it may be used as a table, and said shelf will act as an edge apron therefor, and when in the other position said shelf will serve as an ordinary shelf, and a spring-pressed latch member carried by said splash or back plate structure and adapted to operatively engage said top plate, whereby when said latch member is released, said splash or back plate structure may be permitted to turn upon said hinges, and when said structure is raised, the automatic engagement of said latch member with said topiplate will firmly hold said structure in the raised position.

3, A gas cooking stove embodying therein a top plate, side frames each having a forwardly extended bracket toward the top thereof, a shelf supported from said brackets, plates upon opposite sides of said frames forming respectively a back or splash plate and a table top, said brackets being so positioned as to enagage a portion of the stove adjacent the front thereof when in the lowered position, hinges connected with said side frames and said top plate respectively, said hinges being offset with relation to said frames to an extent substantially corresponding with the extent of projection of said brackets, whereby when said frames are turned downwardly, the plates carried by said frames will be in a substantially horizontal position and said shelf willbe in a substantially vertical. position adjacent the forward edge of said top plate, and means carried by one of said side frames and adapted to co-operate with said back plate, whereby said frames and the plates carried thereby may be firmly held in the raised,

position, or permitted to turn upon said hinges.

4;. A cooking stove embodying therein a top plate, a manifold at the front of the stove adjacent said plate, side frames each having a forwardly extended bracket toward the top thereof, said frames being of a height to cause said brackets, when said frames are turned down, to engage said. manifold, a shelf supported from said brackets whereby when said frames are turned downwardly, said shelf will shield aid manifold, hinges connected with said side frames and said top plate respectively, said hinges being offset with relation to said frames to an extent substantially corresponding with the extent of projection of said brackets, whereby when said frames are turned downwardly, the plates carried by said frames will be in a substantially horizontal position, and means carried by one of said side frames and adapted to co-operate with said back plate, whereby said frames and the plates carried thereby may be firmly held in the raised position, or permitted to turn upon said hinges.

5. A gas cooking stove embodying therein a top plate, side frames each having a forwardly extended bracket toward the top thereof, a shelf supported from said brackets, plates upon opposite sides of said frames forming respectively a back or splash plate and a table top, said brackets being so posi tioned as to engage a portion of the stove adjacent the front thereof when in the low cred position, hinges connected with said side frames and said top plate respectively, said hinges being ol'l'set with relation to said frames to an extent substantially correspending with. the extent of projection of said brackets, whereby when said frames are turned downwardly, the plates carried by said frames will be in a substantially horizontal position and said shelf will be in a substantially vertical position adjacent the forward edge of said top plate, and a spring-pressed latch member carried by a side frame adapted to operatively engage said top plate, whereby when said latch member is released, said frames and the plates carried thereby may be permitted to turn upon d hinges, and when said structure is raised, the automatic engagement of said latch member with said top plate will firmly hold said side plate in the raised position.

6. A gas cooking stove embodying therein a top plate, a gas manifold at the front of the stove adjacent said plate, side frames each having a forwardly extended bracket toward the top thereof, said frames being of a height to cause said brackets, when said frames are turned down, to engage said manifold, a shelf supported from said brackets whereby when said frames are turned downwardly, said shelf will shield said manifold, hinges connected with said side frames and said top plate respectively, said hinges being offset with relation to said frames to an extent substantially corresponding with the extent of projection of said brackets, whereby when said frames are turned downwardly, the plates carried by said frames will be in a substantially horizontal position, and a spring-pressed latch member carried by a side frame adapted to operatively engage said top plate,whereby when said latch member is released, said frames and the plates carried thereby may be permitted to turn upon said hinges, and when said structure is raised, the automatic engagement of said latch member with said top plate willfirmly hold said side plate in the raised position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 18th day of December, 1926.

BREW'STER S. BEACH. 

